Part 19 (2/2)

Baxter. ”There is no telling how much there is, and it would not be right to put temptation in their way. Besides, they must get the camp in shape before night.”

The lanterns were lighted, and then the work of digging for the treasure was begun. It was warm enough in the cave to allow the three to lay aside their heavy outer coats, as the exercise of digging would keep their blood in circulation.

”Now we'll divide the cave floor into three parts,” said Mr. Baxter, ”and each one of us will take one. In this way we will be able to make sure that we have covered every foot. There is no need to go down very deep.”

The work was soon under way. It certainly was difficult, for the frozen earth was like stone in hardness. But the picks were sharp, and they were wielded by st.u.r.dy arms, the owners of which were urged on by the desire to get at the buried wealth.

It was slower work than Mr. Baxter had calculated on, and when it came time to eat dinner, they had, altogether, turned up only a small part of the cave floor to a depth of about two feet.

”No sign of treasure yet,” said Fred, about the middle of the afternoon.

”I think I'll go outside far a breath of fresh air, and to rest myself.”

”I'll go along,” declared Jerry.

When the two boys reached the mouth of the cavern, they were surprised to find that it was quite dark outside. The short day was ended, and the sun, which never got far above the horizon, had set some time before.

The Northern Lights were beginning to shoot across the sky.

Close to the cave, Holfax and Johnson had arranged the sleds with their loads, and had tethered the dogs, that were now howling for their supper of frozen fish.

”That reminds me I'm hungry too,” said Jerry; ”aren't you, Fred?”

”Not so very. I'm too anxious to find the gold. I'm going back and dig.”

They used their picks on the flinty soil for an hour more, and then Mr.

Baxter, with something like a sigh of disappointment, announced that they would have the night meal.

”I don't suppose any of you came across any stray gold nuggets, did you?” he asked the boys.

”No,” replied Fred soberly. ”Do you think the treasure is here, Mr.

Baxter?”

”Well, I hope so. If it isn't we can at least prove that there is no Stults treasure, and that the story is all a myth, Fred.”

”Oh, I hope such a thing as that doesn't happen.”

”I hope so myself.”

It got much colder after they had had their hot tea and meat, so, as they were very tired, Mr. Baxter decided they would do no more digging until the next morning.

”We ought to finish up the cave to-morrow,” he said.

”Suppose we don't find the gold, dad?”

Mr. Baxter said nothing. It was a thing he did not like to contemplate.

They had dug over more than half the floor of the cavern, and had seen no signs of where Stults, years before, had made an excavation to hide his gold. The cave looked as if it had not been disturbed for centuries.

”This is the right place, according to the map,” said Fred, as though to a.s.sure himself and the others that they must be on the track of the hidden wealth.

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